1994. "Secret" was Madonna's "hold my beer" hit after all the prior controversy. Dope beat, dope instrumentation, dope lyrics -- "You knew all along what I never wanted to say..." -- and the pre-chorus slays, plus the wah-wah on the guitar solo. The video was all over MTV for a while -- sepia toned vintage retro tres chic, iirc.
The first single from Bedtime Stories produced with Dallas Austin . Pop with a heavy r&b and hip hop influence. The back beat us thumping🔥🔥. Madonna had a secret for everyone, the sound of this album. The Secret is that the same thing Dorothy found out, everything is already inside of you.
FIRST TIME I HEARD SECRET: I was walking into a grocery store, when a DJ on the radio said something about a new Madonna single, and I was totally unaware that she was releasing a new album. I waited for the song to start playing and I KID YOU NOT...... within the first 5 SECONDS I was BLOWN AWAY from what I was listening and I got INSTANTLY ADDICTED to this song. To this day in 2023 SECRET is in my Top Ten Madonna songs EVER!!!!
@@EmpressReacts No Cell phones, TH-cam, Instagram or Tik Tok to be informed ahead of time of a new release. So back then, when just by chance you happened to hear a brand new song by your favorite artist, you remembered where you were. 😂😂😂 After that you glued yourself to MTV hoping to catch some news or the video. (Yester years 😎)
The meaning behind the song is about spiritual awakening and transformation. The song's overall message seems to be that a transformative Era has had a significant impact on a her life, helping her find happiness and purpose........as we all witnessed from 1994 through Ray of Light. The secret mentioned in the song may also represent the discovery of oneself.
Madonna and her hummings, that's her signature, she does it better than anybody else. This era was the first I went through, a new world had been discovered, from that day I've been living in Madonnaland. ❤
The first time I heard this whole album, I was at a bar in The Gambia, West Africa. We knew the owners and I asked them to play it over and over. We danced, drank and had a ball!! Love this album. Secret was the first single off the album and I love the video and the theme of the video. And apparently the first compositions of this song came from none other than Shep Pettibone.
This was a single and it made me connect with a friend in high school. In gym class she was humming "Erotica" so I informed her Madonna had a new single, "Secret"! I remember the video coming out, it was a big deal. Amazing song, one of her best.
Secret was a single and hit #3, which meant after the Erotica controversy and the Letterman scandal interview, she was back with two top 3 singles in 1994 and it would only get better the following year...
hands down one of my favarotie Madonna songs ever.I remember I was 13 years old when i first heard/saw it on MTV. It was early in the morning and I was too excited to go to school so I stayed at home and waited for it to come on again.
Ohhh new era and this is one of my faves ever. Hope we get to hear the songs not too far apart :) It's also one of those albums that sounds great start to finish since theres a theme but the song are strong enough to stand by themselves obviously. This was actually the first single off the album and has great remixed and a cool video. Can't wait til you see that as well. This whole album is so soothing to me. Always feel good listening to it.
Yes!!!!!!!! FINALLY! This song just blew me away. I remember sitting on my bedroom floor, big ass headphones on, reading the lyrics as the tracks played. Memories.
Back in the day, when this album was released, it was my go to for background music when people would come over for drinks or dinner… Many of them were always super surprised and impressed to find out it was a Madonna album when they asked who it was… 💚
So glad you liked this. I was nervous because it's one of my all time favorite Madunna songs. I never ever get sick of it. The chunky beat, the guitar, the humming, the lyrics... the only thing I would change is maybe the synth strings for live strings. But it works for the song. Dallas Austin produced this with Madonna - the other producers on the album were Babyface, Dave "Jam" Hall, and Nellee Hooper, who oversaw the whole thing and made it feel more cohesive. I have a feeling (don't throw rocks at me!) that this might be the last M era that you really LOVE. She has some amazing albums after this (Ray of Light, Music, Confessions) but they're much more electronic. This is her last real "soul"/R&B-influenced album. Anyway, can't wait to see what you think of the rest. The slow jams are 🔥...
Madonna mega fan since Burning Up and this song is STILL in my top 5 of all time. I remember deeply connecting to the self empowering message...It's kind of another version of the RuPaul classic quote- “If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”
Yes secret was the first single from the album released in October 1994. Peaked at no.3 in the USA and the Uk and no.5 in Australia. Was no.1 for 10 weeks In Canada
Yes, this song was a single. Loved this tune.!?This song came out in 94, but I clearly remember the daytime soap Port Charles using it in one of their commercial promos. It was called Port Charles: Secrets. 😆 “Secret”, “Human Nature” and “Take A Bow” were the biggest hits from that album. This is easily one of my favorite eras of Madonna.
So happy we're in the Bedtime Stories era now! This was the lead single to Bedtime Stories. I just remember thinking that for a lead single from a new album, it sounded so low key for her. I think this was the first time one of her songs (or at least a snippet of it) debuted online as well. This was 1994 though so most of us had to hear it the first time by listening to the radio. I really think you're going to enjoy this era. Secret is a good representation of just the overall mellow vibe of this era. Also, she gives some good interviews during the Bedtime Stories promo.
Remember that the song Live To Tell was the first single from and for True Blue. It was also a low and somber vibe for a lead single for a Madonna album. Even the record company executives were unsure that it was a good idea to release it as the lead single. But it went #1.
I'm so glad that you threw 10s across the board for this song! This is one of my favorite Madonna songs. I was very pleasantly surprised by this song especially after her Erotica album even though we got Rain and I'll Remember as the melodic pop songs as singles. I love this song because of its positive and inspirational message of learning to love yourself before loving someone else because you can't give and receive love if you don't have it or didn't nurture, build and foster enough of it to begin with. Yes, this track was released as a single and I think that you will like the music video for this song.
Yay Empress, So happy you’ve reached the Bedtime Stories era. In my top 5 Madonna albums. No two Madonna albums sound the same. Queen of reinvention. 🙌🏻 And that humming is now her signature. This era she truly showcased her vocal ability. And the music videos, 🔥. ❤
I’m so happy you are entering bedtime stories era .. it’s exceptional , just as the album , the image , the vibe …. So happy to experience this with ya once again 👏🏻👏🏻☺️💓🌷
The album that put her in good graces with critics and the world Every album and controversy they said her career was over.Again she proved them wrong.
My favorite era after her debut. Sadly, this era will be the last time we hear the raw Madonna voice as she will start vocal training for Evita; after which, she loses some of that Madonna "tone." Also, this album should be listened to in one sitting; it's a whole vibe. :)
I agree! She lost some of that raw vocal urgency to her voice! Demonstrated most effectively on Take A Bow! Amazing vocal well before her vocal training!
I don't think she lost it because on the song "don't tell me" her voice is low and on her Celebration tour she sings bad girl like she almost did on the record!
I knew you'd love this! Such an iconic track. That beat and baseline is just incredible. But Survival into Secret was a perfect 1-2 punch of an album opening.
When the song is such a fiyah bop that you forgot you already threw up ✋🏻🤚🏻 but you throw them up again for a second time 🤣🤣🤣 yes! I absolutely love Secret… this is such an underrated bop from an underrated album. Now you know I love Erotica and will not tolerate any shade towards it, but sadly the scandal overshadowed M’s career for a while and that extended a bit into this album. Secret was the first single… won’t spoil anything else but another track became a massive hit for her off this album, but that’s a little later in the journey. Enjoy the ride on this R&B inspired album. It had several producers, I think. One may surprise you.
Woohoo! Glad to see you’re finally getting to the Bedtime Story era Empress! This is definitely one of my favorite Madonna albums and was the perfect change to her sound and image after Erotica. I of course love the 90s R&B/Hip Hop influence in the album and believe that can be attributed to Babyface who I think produced many of the tracks or at least some of them from what I remember. The other commenters will drop those facts for sure 😊. Your reaction to this song reminds me of my reaction when I first heard it! Thought it was an immediate 🔥bop and the video was perfect so can’t want to see your reaction to that!
*TRIVIA TIME FOR ROY!* ....I'm so loving your account on this tune, and some inside info for ya....but, not MUCH....Summer 1994, I went to a record store in the East Village NYC, and sat on a stoop of steps; I was listening to a DEEE-LITE tune (on my walkman), and this Guy sits next to me, talking to a Buddy about U2's "Stay Faraway, So Close".... ....he got some info wrong about a track, and I corrected him...we chat, and he tells me he's a Model named Jason (he was riding a Bike)......he tells me he's "..got a Video shoot..." the next day, and wants to keep in touch with me.... thought nuthin' of it..... ....then, 2 Months later, THERE HE IS, as Madge's love interest in the "Secret" Video! ...I was SHOCKED! ...ha-HAA! ....I ran into him at another Record Store, and I said, "...any more 'shoots' I should know of!??..." ...ha-HAA! ...Lovely Guy haven't seen him in Years.....
@@RBS_ WOW! That is such a cool coincidence! I LOVE the video for this song and how crazy you so randomly met the video model like that. I also hope you take Empress up on her offer for an interview to hear more of your music industry stories. 😉Thanks for sharing that fun trivia fact with me!!
THIS IS A GREAT POT SMOKING ALBUM. The 90s. Great album. You’ll love most of these tracks. It’s a mellow album for the most part. Except Human Nature which is a call back to the response to her Erotica era. EXCELLENT VIDEO.
Don't forgot ''Sanctuary'' and the title track who theses two songs was very different then the rest of the album (since these two songs was electronic and definates the sound she adopted in the next album, the two only songs who it's wasn't RnB at all).
💯on the green! I remember that's all my friends and I did when this album was released. We'd get nice and listen to the whole album beginning to end - no skips.
Yessss so happy we're finally in this era and even happier that you loved the song, and you'll probably love it more and more at each listen 😁 It's since your reactions to Like a Virgin and True Blue that I think that this is the album that has the potential to dethrone the first album in your rank, maybe the only one in all of Madonna's discography...? The moment has come and we'll see now 👀 And for me it was a surprise at the time, specially because it wasn't nearly as promoted as Erotica or any other of her albums and first singles, there wasn't much buzz about it and suddenly this song was playing on the radio. And many of us were amazed that she was again exploring new sounds and another style of singing. Once again, it was different from everything we've heard from her before - but just as good. Yet another facet of hers appears in the pop horizon ✨
***MADONNA "SECRET" (CHART) TRIVIA TIME!!*** ...I tried to post the trivia about the HUMONGOUS Club play the remixes provided, but my comment keeps getting removed (5x already!) ...SO, I'll keep it simple and leave the Dance Club play charts, where it was #1 Dance for 2 weeks....but, changed the COURSE of Dance Club Music, Thanks to Junior Vasquez..... DANCE (November 1994) : 10. Everything's Gonna Be Alright (Remixes) - Sounds Of Blackness 9. Absolutely Fabulous (Rollo remixes) - Pet Shop Boys 8. Turn The Beat Around (Remixes) - Gloria Estefan 7. Girls + Boys - The HED Boys 6. Can You Feel It - Reel 2 Real feat. The Mad Stuntman 5. Reach (Hex Hector Remix) - Patti Austin 4. Excited (Remixes) - M People 3. Running Away (E-Smoove Remixes)- Nicole 2. Dreamer - Livin' Joy 1. ***Secret (Vasquez mixes)*** - Madonna (1st wk. of 2 weeks)
I called it before and I’m gonna call it again…Bedtime Stories Is gonna rocket to the 🔝 of Empress’ fave Madonna Albums list. It’ll dislodge the 1st album 💿 or maybe come a close second, that’s my prediction 🙂
No tour was planned for this album, with many reasons, for example, the backclash and she turned for the Evita movie during this period also and she was pregnant while she shot the movie.
My first time hearing it was after a classmate told me about it, she’s like have you seen a new a Madonna video, then she sang the chorus tune to me, I was like nope! Then she lent me a VHS tape (no DVD’s back then) where she taped the vid ❤❤❤
MY ALL TIME FAVORITE!!! GET INTO THE LYRICS! THIS IS MADONNAS MOST LYRICAL, ROMANTIC, POETIC ALBUM! I LOVE EVERY SONG! NO SKIPS! This song is what made me do a DEEP dive into Madonnas discography! I have no idea what the secret is! I went from masturbation, to drugs, to the positive message of loving yourself! 🤷♂️ Alot of her songs from here on out lyrics could mean multiple things which is kind of genius if you ask me!
This album have four producers: -Dallas Austin who he work with TLC and who TLC was the major RnB group girl of the moment at 1994 with the huge ''Crazy Sexy Cool'' album and with massuve singles like ''Creep'' and ''Waterfalls''. He produced ''Secret'', ''Don't Stop'' and ''Sanctuary''. The last have additionnal production and remixing by Nellie Hooper. -Dave Hall who he work with Mariah Carey (for the massive n.1 ''Dreamlover'' and ''Fantasy''), he produced three songs of this album (''I'd Rather Be Your Lover'', ''Human Nature'' and ''Love Tried to Welcome Me'') -Babyface was the king of RnB has a producer and singer and hw work with a lot of massive RnB acts like Whitney Houston, Toni braxton and Boyz II Men. He was a hugely popular singer and producer during the 90's. The was the first she work after she ending her Shep sessions, and this was him to he introduced Nellie Hooper since he was a friend of Nellie. He produced and co-wrote two songs of this album, ''Forbidden Love'' and ''Take a Bow''. -Nellie Hooper was more axed at the underground scene then the three others, she work before with Bjork, Sinead O'connor and Massive Attack. This was with her who she produced ''Survival'', ''Inside of Me'' and the title track, and she make additionnal production and remixing in ''Forbidden Love'' and ''Sanctuary''. While she arriving, she changed totally the whole mood of ''Sanctuary'' and devied of the RnB sound who this album was.
I'm really excited for this album for you. Not one of my favourites, but I predict it will be yours. This is Madonna's "chill-out" album. Best savoured with: A bath, a glass of wine, some candles.
Yes!!! The MMMMMsss started with I'LL REMEMBER and it is so much in the future, that Madonna could release an album called just that: MMMMMssss or at least MMMMMMMMadonna
This was the second madonna song I heard back in the 1990s but didn't know who sang it until years later when I heard it again and I was like ohh now I remember I didn't know madonna sang this song now it started to make sense
I still remember hearing this song for the first time on the radio. My radio alarm went off and my regular station was on. Half asleep I hear the guitars and I thought it was going to be another grunge song…LOL! Then her undeniable vocals came on and I popped right out of bed. It was different for sure but after the song played the DJ said the woman makes hits like Ray’s makes pizza! (NYC reference). The Junior Vasquez remixes are 🔥
I remember when this song/video came out, it was a new era for sure in Madonna's career and I told my mom about this song and said 'this song and album will make you a fan again after Erotica'... and sure enough, my mom bought the CD when it came out. This song was the perfect song to usher in the Bedtime Stories era :)
This is not accurate. When madonna recorded the album she was dating Tupac because Tupac recorded a verse for the album track Id Rather Be Your Lover. Leon was not in the picture until after Rodman so by then the album was already released.
Yep, when I first heard this song on the radio, I thought that this was unlike anything Madonna ever recorded. I had to run out and buy the single immediately. If you already like the first two songs, Empress, I'm sure you are going to enjoy the album.
Awesome Empress! This was Madonna's very first single from Bedtime Stories. The single and the video (no spoilers) were actually released a couple weeks before the album came out on my 17th birthday! From watching your reaction I've already got a pretty good idea that you're gonna love this album! I could be wrong, but we'll see! Was wondering what you thought of the album cover. Did you notice that her nose is pierced?
Unpopular opinion??!! This is my favorite Madonna album, mostly because of the heavy R&B influences. I still listen to it today from start to finish ♥The video and (even the) remix to this song is pure fire!! Madonna wanted a softer more "innocent" vibe after coming off the Eroica era.
This album was produced by Dallas Austin and some songs by Babyface. Dallas Austin was the hottest R&B producer in the 90's. He produced songs for TLC, LL Cool J, Toni Braxton, R Kelly, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Boys II Men, Monica, Mary J Blige, Michael Jackson and Madonna. But Madonna was not considered R&B by the industry, even when some of the beats from this album were also used for TLC's album which won the Grammy for Best R&B album that year. But anyway this album is so beautiful, very R&B, soft, sexy, silky smooth. And Secret is not only a masterpiece (and my second favorite Madonna song of all time), the video is also very very beautiful. Actually all videos from this album are amazing. I think the 90's was Madonna's most creative and artistic decade, and specially this era. And she never sounded so good, her vocals on this album are delicious.
Slant Magazine gave Bedtime Stories a positive review and four out of five stars, writing that it is "a fluffy-pillowed concept album that unfolds like a musical fairy tale The New York Times considered Bedtime Stories as "easily Madonna's best album. San Francisco Examiner praised the album as Madonna's most low-key album and her best work at the date. The Baltimore Sun, declared that Bedtime Stories was more listener-friendly than Madonna's previous albums. He added that it "seems remarkably close in spirit to the singer's first album, emphasizing dance grooves and pop melodies over genre exercises and conceptual statements", while praising Madonna's vocal performance. Another review noted that "[Madonna] isn't taking any chances. This time around, her daring has more to do with music than lyrics", while also praising her vocals; "If anything, her singing is the album's greatest strength. Madonna uses every trick from her repertoire. Bedtime Stories turns in some of the strongest performances of her career. 'Madonna sings well' - bet you don't see that headline in the tabloids anytime soon!
Yay you’re finally up to Bedtime Stories, this was a favorite song of mine and especially the Junior Vasquez club remix which you must listen to, there is a shortened radio mix for it with the music video, that’s the only version I listen to nowadays, it has been a while since I heard this original.
I really liked this song when it came out. The album I found good at the time, and as the years have gone by it's become my favorite by her. And the videos for the 4 singles from this album are all very creative and well done. Looking forward to watching your reactions to the Bedtime Stories era.
One of my all time favourite Madonna songs!! ❤ I was obsessed when this first came out! So glad you loved it! You always make me actually LOL when you react to Madonna’s lower register 😂 Another album that was hugely underrated… so glad us fans got it to number one in the charts a few years back ❤ Just remembered a really good interview from this era: Ruby Wax Meets Madonna! Ruby said not too long ago that it’s the one interview she knew she’d lost control… but I loved it regardless.
Yay Empress! Let’s go Bedtime Stories, and before the new year lol! So happy you loved the song - can’t go wrong when M hums and uses her lower register. I was a teenager when this song came out - it was the first single from the album, with an amazing video. Yes it felt like she was back, and I immediately went to the music store for the CD single when released. Probably in my top 10 fav Madonna songs ❤ Enjoy because another studio album won’t come out until 1998
So satiny smooth, like her slip dress on the cover of the single. Yes it was the first single from Bedtime Stories, and it ushered in both a new vibe for Madonna, as well as a return to the city we most associate her with. But that’s the only teaser you’ll get from me about the video 🫢 This song, the funky guitar, the BEAT and the strings, all so understated and cool, and her smoooooth vocals with the hums and sliding to that warm lower register of hers. Absolute massage for the eardrums✨I remember reading (I think in Smash Hits Magazine) that Madonna had taken to the INTERNET to announce the single, and left a message and a snippet of the song to get us hyped. I can’t recall if I ever heard the message, but it was around the time of my first ever experiences of using the internet, so I may have.
Whoa so by 94 Madonna is using the internet as a marketing tool?! Didn’t realize the internet was around. Also she goes back to Michigan?! Not to your but a video interesting
@@EmpressReacts Lol no not Michigan! Haha But yes the internet was around then! Technically it launched in 1983. It’s fascinating to go back thru internet archives to see the early manifestations of internet culture. It was buzzing by around 1994, when this album was released, but the content was obviously very primitive. Mainly text based, with either clip art that hurt your eyes, or very pixelated photos. There were fan communities online then too, and chat. Incredible that back then it looked so cutting edge. Similar to how all this will look in 20 years when we all have it implanted in our brains 😅🤖
Always enjoy you starting a new Madonna era. Secret took a couple of listens for me at first but loved it: performance wise for Madonna in the uk, she was still getting a lot of flack from the press. Shockingly, one of her strongest ballads ever broke her consecutive run of top 10 hits by stalling in the charts.
Aww man wanted to jam to Survival again! Bedtime Stories was so underated after the backlash of the last era. Although Take A Bow with Babyface became her biggest number one hit of her career. Seven weeks at number one! Bedtime Story finally became a number one album on Spotify in April 2020 after some fan champaign.
@EmpressReacts Yup! He produced two songs and sang backup. The other producers are Dallas Austin(TLC), Dave Jam Hall (Mariah Carey, Mary J Blige) and Nelle Hopper(Bjork).
I think Secret is exactly what you described. When you get to the video [siiiick], she shows what the secret is at the end of the video, but it's only for the video
LOVE! LOVE! LOVE this song! And, the album. While the album is still tonally a bit dark, because it explores a lot of the loneliness and alienation Madonna was moving through, at the time, because of erotica; it did feel like a big exhale and a bit of a release. Madonna kinda took on the world with erotica, and while it can be a “hard to love” masterpiece, it took a toll on our girl. And, led many fans away - as did the shift in music, at the time - grunge was everywhere…and, we were on the precipice of 90s RnB takeover. Another reason why bedtime stories was very of the moment. The groove of this song is undeniable. It’s well produced, well written, and well sung. This album is a complete pivot in the Madonna landscape. Bedtime stories is the perfect bridge (pallet cleanser) to/for Ray of Light. In all honesty, as a whole, BS holds up incredibly well, with most of it sounding as fresh today as it did in ‘94-‘95…except don’t stop…I still roll my eyes at that one.
The video of this "Secret" is so hot. It fits in today's world as it has an eternal flare to it - She is in a club with a blues band surrounding her and looking sultry, and as she walks the streets of Harlem in a faux fur coat and platinum blonde hair, she stands out from the crowd and seems to fit in yet be a fish out of water at the same time - My Babies Got a Secret? Like so many of Madonna's songs. The Secret appears to allude not to a single point or subject but has a double meaning. Firstly - As you pointed out, the secret is to look within and learn to love yourself before you can find outer love, and it will generate outward and attract the love you wish to have. Secondly - as Madonna sings, she seems to be wrapping her arms around her belly often enough for you to think a child or baby is involved, but It's not Madonna's child, nor is she pregnant; instead, her lover/boyfriend has a baby with another woman. You do see a young child that seems out of place.
Far and away, bedtime stories is her best work. Sooooooo glad you are finally here. I'm super curious how you'll feel about it all This was reworked by Dallas Austin from a demo. All the brothers who worked on this album put the sauce on her stuff!!! Fun fact: Dallas never got to finish mixing and mastering. Madonna took it all over and had others do it. He was mad, but never mentioned it until recently. It's likely why he rarely spoke about his incredible work on this album. It isn't how he intended it to sound, as great as it is. This album was inspired by Joi's debut album, Pendulum Vibe, which Dallas produced.
Ah, this reminds me of Miss Ross and the Diana album and how Nile and Bernard were in there feels that she remixed the album. In the case of this song… good call Madonna
Gorgeous song. Often overlooked hit in her vast catalog.
Really!!
True. And in concert.
Seriously!!!
1994. "Secret" was Madonna's "hold my beer" hit after all the prior controversy. Dope beat, dope instrumentation, dope lyrics -- "You knew all along what I never wanted to say..." -- and the pre-chorus slays, plus the wah-wah on the guitar solo. The video was all over MTV for a while -- sepia toned vintage retro tres chic, iirc.
Interesting
Hold my beer so true…..
The first single from Bedtime Stories produced with Dallas Austin . Pop with a heavy r&b and hip hop influence. The back beat us thumping🔥🔥. Madonna had a secret for everyone, the sound of this album. The Secret is that the same thing Dorothy found out, everything is already inside of you.
FIRST TIME I HEARD SECRET:
I was walking into a grocery store, when a DJ on the radio said something about a new Madonna single, and I was totally unaware that she was releasing a new album. I waited for the song to start playing and I KID YOU NOT...... within the first 5 SECONDS I was BLOWN AWAY from what I was listening and I got INSTANTLY ADDICTED to this song. To this day in 2023 SECRET is in my Top Ten Madonna songs EVER!!!!
I love that you remember where you were
@@EmpressReacts
No Cell phones, TH-cam, Instagram or Tik Tok to be informed ahead of time of a new release. So back then, when just by chance you happened to hear a brand new song by your favorite artist, you remembered where you were. 😂😂😂 After that you glued yourself to MTV hoping to catch some news or the video. (Yester years 😎)
When I first heard it, I couldn't believe it was Madonna. Loved it instantly. Wait for the video!
Interesting!!!
Ugh this is my favorite Madonna album so I get super touchy. Thank you for loving secret
It’s a 🔥🔥🔥 song
The meaning behind the song is about spiritual awakening and transformation. The song's overall message seems to be that a transformative Era has had a significant impact on a her life, helping her find happiness and purpose........as we all witnessed from 1994 through Ray of Light. The secret mentioned in the song may also represent the discovery of oneself.
Interesting
Madonna and her hummings, that's her signature, she does it better than anybody else. This era was the first I went through, a new world had been discovered, from that day I've been living in Madonnaland. ❤
The first time I heard this whole album, I was at a bar in The Gambia, West Africa. We knew the owners and I asked them to play it over and over. We danced, drank and had a ball!! Love this album. Secret was the first single off the album and I love the video and the theme of the video. And apparently the first compositions of this song came from none other than Shep Pettibone.
So cool
This was a single and it made me connect with a friend in high school. In gym class she was humming "Erotica" so I informed her Madonna had a new single, "Secret"! I remember the video coming out, it was a big deal. Amazing song, one of her best.
Secret and this album throughout were a return to soulful vocals of the first album.
Best album ever....soothing but troubled at the same time...lush but with bite...R&B always fits her like a glove...enjoy the journey
Interesting description!
I love it! ❤
My favourite Madonna album after her debut ❤❤❤ And I love it that you love it, Empress!
This album flows so so good . One of my favorites. Smooth. The video is beautiful. Love love this album!
Love this track. Some of the material she recorded that didn’t make the album also slaps.
Gotta hear it
Yes so many good unreleased songs from this era such as Let Down Your Guard & Your Honesty
To me the Secret is the law of attraction, The Secret, finding the good feeling within is the key to happiness, it lies in your hands
I like that!
My top 3 favorite Madonna song ever. Her hmms are vocal dreams. I never get sick of this song.
🔥🔥
Secret was a single and hit #3, which meant after the Erotica controversy and the Letterman scandal interview, she was back with two top 3 singles in 1994 and it would only get better the following year...
Okay, the girl has made a comeback 😂
hands down one of my favarotie Madonna songs ever.I remember I was 13 years old when i first heard/saw it on MTV. It was early in the morning and I was too excited to go to school so I stayed at home and waited for it to come on again.
😂😂😂perfect excuse skipping school
Ohhh new era and this is one of my faves ever. Hope we get to hear the songs not too far apart :) It's also one of those albums that sounds great start to finish since theres a theme but the song are strong enough to stand by themselves obviously. This was actually the first single off the album and has great remixed and a cool video. Can't wait til you see that as well.
This whole album is so soothing to me. Always feel good listening to it.
Yes!!!!!!!! FINALLY! This song just blew me away. I remember sitting on my bedroom floor, big ass headphones on, reading the lyrics as the tracks played. Memories.
🔥🔥
I am so excited. There is not one bad track on this album.
Interesting 🧐
Back in the day, when this album was released, it was my go to for background music when people would come over for drinks or dinner… Many of them were always super surprised and impressed to find out it was a Madonna album when they asked who it was… 💚
Ah, so the casual listener couldn’t tell it was her
In my top 3 Madonna songs of all time. Her vocals are stunning
🔥🔥🔥
So glad you liked this. I was nervous because it's one of my all time favorite Madunna songs. I never ever get sick of it. The chunky beat, the guitar, the humming, the lyrics... the only thing I would change is maybe the synth strings for live strings. But it works for the song. Dallas Austin produced this with Madonna - the other producers on the album were Babyface, Dave "Jam" Hall, and Nellee Hooper, who oversaw the whole thing and made it feel more cohesive. I have a feeling (don't throw rocks at me!) that this might be the last M era that you really LOVE. She has some amazing albums after this (Ray of Light, Music, Confessions) but they're much more electronic. This is her last real "soul"/R&B-influenced album. Anyway, can't wait to see what you think of the rest. The slow jams are 🔥...
I agree. 💯
I think Empress will like a lot of the Rebel Heart album
Remember, no spoilers for Empress. But don't forget about American Life album which in my opinion is the last great Madonna album.
🔥🔥
This song blew me away first listen and still does to this day, such underappreciated gem. Lush melodies, the mmmmmm mmmmmm, low register.
Yaaaas🔥🔥🔥
This was the first single of the Album and I fall in LOVE of this song was great (the complete album is fire)
can't wait to hear the rest!
“Until I love myself, I was never really loving anybody else!!!!” SHE SAID THAT SHIT! 🔥
This song was a huge hit back in the day!
💯💯
Madonna mega fan since Burning Up and this song is STILL in my top 5 of all time. I remember deeply connecting to the self empowering message...It's kind of another version of the RuPaul classic quote- “If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”
And yes I read that in Ru’s voice😂
Yes secret was the first single from the album released in October 1994. Peaked at no.3 in the USA and the Uk and no.5 in Australia. Was no.1 for 10 weeks In Canada
That’s good charting
Yes, this song was a single. Loved this tune.!?This song came out in 94, but I clearly remember the daytime soap Port Charles using it in one of their commercial promos. It was called Port Charles: Secrets. 😆 “Secret”, “Human Nature” and “Take A Bow” were the biggest hits from that album. This is easily one of my favorite eras of Madonna.
Human Nature was not so huge. It's was in fact outperformed and missed the top 20 in a lot of country.
Port Charles! Shoutout to John McBain being a vampire
You and I are definite soap fans! :)@@EmpressReacts
@@RKS4581 😂😂😂
So happy we're in the Bedtime Stories era now! This was the lead single to Bedtime Stories. I just remember thinking that for a lead single from a new album, it sounded so low key for her. I think this was the first time one of her songs (or at least a snippet of it) debuted online as well. This was 1994 though so most of us had to hear it the first time by listening to the radio. I really think you're going to enjoy this era. Secret is a good representation of just the overall mellow vibe of this era. Also, she gives some good interviews during the Bedtime Stories promo.
Remember that the song Live To Tell was the first single from and for True Blue. It was also a low and somber vibe for a lead single for a Madonna album. Even the record company executives were unsure that it was a good idea to release it as the lead single. But it went #1.
I'm so glad that you threw 10s across the board for this song! This is one of my favorite Madonna songs. I was very pleasantly surprised by this song especially after her Erotica album even though we got Rain and I'll Remember as the melodic pop songs as singles. I love this song because of its positive and inspirational message of learning to love yourself before loving someone else because you can't give and receive love if you don't have it or didn't nurture, build and foster enough of it to begin with. Yes, this track was released as a single and I think that you will like the music video for this song.
can't wait
Yay Empress, So happy you’ve reached the Bedtime Stories era. In my top 5 Madonna albums. No two Madonna albums sound the same. Queen of reinvention. 🙌🏻 And that humming is now her signature. This era she truly showcased her vocal ability. And the music videos, 🔥. ❤
Interesting!!
I’m so happy you are entering bedtime stories era .. it’s exceptional , just as the album , the image , the vibe …. So happy to experience this with ya once again 👏🏻👏🏻☺️💓🌷
Thank you so much!
The remix to this by Junior Vasquez is club royalty and legendarily iconic for the technical advancements of the time.
One of her best remixes ever
Can’t wait to hear it!
One of my favorites from that era, fo sure!
The album that put her in good graces with critics and the world Every album and controversy they said her career was over.Again she proved them wrong.
😂Madonna the phoniex that rises
I think that was more Ray Of light, but Bedtime Stories, Something To Remember, & Evita helped lead up to her Ray of Light moment & praise
@@EthansTarot No, after Erotica they said her career was over(again)this album put her back in good graces with everyone.I lived through it,I know.
Dallas Austin produced ‘Secret’ and he also produced Janet Jackson’s ‘Just A Little While’ from the blacklisted Damita Jo album.
Yeah that’s his name!
My favorite era after her debut. Sadly, this era will be the last time we hear the raw Madonna voice as she will start vocal training for Evita; after which, she loses some of that Madonna "tone." Also, this album should be listened to in one sitting; it's a whole vibe. :)
I agree! She lost some of that raw vocal urgency to her voice! Demonstrated most effectively on Take A Bow! Amazing vocal well before her vocal training!
I don't think she lost it because on the song "don't tell me" her voice is low and on her Celebration tour she sings bad girl like she almost did on the record!
Nooo😭
I knew you'd love this! Such an iconic track. That beat and baseline is just incredible. But Survival into Secret was a perfect 1-2 punch of an album opening.
Yaaaas! 🔥🔥🔥
When the song is such a fiyah bop that you forgot you already threw up ✋🏻🤚🏻 but you throw them up again for a second time 🤣🤣🤣 yes! I absolutely love Secret… this is such an underrated bop from an underrated album. Now you know I love Erotica and will not tolerate any shade towards it, but sadly the scandal overshadowed M’s career for a while and that extended a bit into this album. Secret was the first single… won’t spoil anything else but another track became a massive hit for her off this album, but that’s a little later in the journey. Enjoy the ride on this R&B inspired album. It had several producers, I think. One may surprise you.
That’s a real 🔥bop
Woohoo! Glad to see you’re finally getting to the Bedtime Story era Empress! This is definitely one of my favorite Madonna albums and was the perfect change to her sound and image after Erotica. I of course love the 90s R&B/Hip Hop influence in the album and believe that can be attributed to Babyface who I think produced many of the tracks or at least some of them from what I remember. The other commenters will drop those facts for sure 😊. Your reaction to this song reminds me of my reaction when I first heard it! Thought it was an immediate 🔥bop and the video was perfect so can’t want to see your reaction to that!
*TRIVIA TIME FOR ROY!* ....I'm so loving your account on this tune, and some inside info for ya....but, not MUCH....Summer 1994, I went to a record store in the East Village NYC, and sat on a stoop of steps; I was listening to a DEEE-LITE tune (on my walkman), and this Guy sits next to me, talking to a Buddy about U2's "Stay Faraway, So Close"....
....he got some info wrong about a track, and I corrected him...we chat, and he tells me he's a Model named Jason (he was riding a Bike)......he tells me he's "..got a Video shoot..." the next day, and wants to keep in touch with me.... thought nuthin' of it.....
....then, 2 Months later, THERE HE IS, as Madge's love interest in the "Secret" Video! ...I was SHOCKED! ...ha-HAA! ....I ran into him at another Record Store, and I said, "...any more 'shoots' I should know of!??..." ...ha-HAA! ...Lovely Guy haven't seen him in Years.....
In fact she work with four producers, Babyface, Dave Hall, Dallas Austin and Nellie Hooper.
@@RBS_ WOW! That is such a cool coincidence! I LOVE the video for this song and how crazy you so randomly met the video model like that. I also hope you take Empress up on her offer for an interview to hear more of your music industry stories. 😉Thanks for sharing that fun trivia fact with me!!
Can’t wait!
You must see the remix video with the song remixed by Junior Vasquez. The remix catapulted the success of the song.
The remix is a bop!! It will make you get up and dance!! What I, what I, What I never wanted to say.....
...about TIME someone mentioned the Remix's importance in helping the tune become MASSIVE! ...right tune, right time, right GUY......
THIS IS A GREAT POT SMOKING ALBUM. The 90s. Great album. You’ll love most of these tracks. It’s a mellow album for the most part. Except Human Nature which is a call back to the response to her Erotica era. EXCELLENT VIDEO.
Don't forgot ''Sanctuary'' and the title track who theses two songs was very different then the rest of the album (since these two songs was electronic and definates the sound she adopted in the next album, the two only songs who it's wasn't RnB at all).
😂😂🔥🔥okay litty
💯on the green! I remember that's all my friends and I did when this album was released. We'd get nice and listen to the whole album beginning to end - no skips.
Omg finally bedtime stories i love this album and madonna is at her best when she dose pop/r&b the lyrics and production of this album are 🔥
Can’t wait to hear the rest
Yessss so happy we're finally in this era and even happier that you loved the song, and you'll probably love it more and more at each listen 😁
It's since your reactions to Like a Virgin and True Blue that I think that this is the album that has the potential to dethrone the first album in your rank, maybe the only one in all of Madonna's discography...? The moment has come and we'll see now 👀
And for me it was a surprise at the time, specially because it wasn't nearly as promoted as Erotica or any other of her albums and first singles, there wasn't much buzz about it and suddenly this song was playing on the radio. And many of us were amazed that she was again exploring new sounds and another style of singing. Once again, it was different from everything we've heard from her before - but just as good. Yet another facet of hers appears in the pop horizon ✨
Now I can’t wait to hear the rest of this album! Dethroning Madonna 83🧐🧐🧐 we’ll see
***MADONNA "SECRET" (CHART) TRIVIA TIME!!*** ...I tried to post the trivia about the HUMONGOUS Club play the remixes provided, but my comment keeps getting removed (5x already!) ...SO, I'll keep it simple and leave the Dance Club play charts, where it was #1 Dance for 2 weeks....but, changed the COURSE of Dance Club Music, Thanks to Junior Vasquez.....
DANCE (November 1994) :
10. Everything's Gonna Be Alright (Remixes) - Sounds Of Blackness
9. Absolutely Fabulous (Rollo remixes) - Pet Shop Boys
8. Turn The Beat Around (Remixes) - Gloria Estefan
7. Girls + Boys - The HED Boys
6. Can You Feel It - Reel 2 Real feat. The Mad Stuntman
5. Reach (Hex Hector Remix) - Patti Austin
4. Excited (Remixes) - M People
3. Running Away (E-Smoove Remixes)- Nicole
2. Dreamer - Livin' Joy
1. ***Secret (Vasquez mixes)*** - Madonna (1st wk. of 2 weeks)
And also this song was a top 10 single for her also in Hot 100 (reaching n.3).
@@WCD199317 ....YES, Will, I Know, babe....I'm 61, belieeeeve me I was THERE! ...ha-HAAA!
Can you drop some facts on yesterday’s reaction to Silk, please 😘
@@jareds2273 ....If you mean me (RBS), I have a-ZEEERRO....I was too Old for them, and they weren't my 'demographic'....sorry..... ; )
Wow I’ve only heard 1/10 songs 😆
I called it before and I’m gonna call it again…Bedtime Stories Is gonna rocket to the 🔝 of Empress’ fave Madonna Albums list.
It’ll dislodge the 1st album 💿 or maybe come a close second, that’s my prediction 🙂
I agree, that's my bet too! 🤞
Interesting…we shall see
One of my favorite madonna songs
🔥💯
she looks absoloutely stunning in the video for this.
Oooo can’t wait to ser
The only negative thing about bedtime stories is there wasn’t a tour 😢 it’s her best album in my opinion she was on top again
No tour was planned for this album, with many reasons, for example, the backclash and she turned for the Evita movie during this period also and she was pregnant while she shot the movie.
Really?!
@@EmpressReacts Yes, no tour until 2001 for her.
I'm so happy that you like this song. It's a favorite of mine and one of Madonna's best songs ever. ❤💯💯❤
🔥🔥🔥
“Happiness lies in your own hands” is the secret 🫶🏽
My first time hearing it was after a classmate told me about it, she’s like have you seen a new a Madonna video, then she sang the chorus tune to me, I was like nope! Then she lent me a VHS tape (no DVD’s back then) where she taped the vid ❤❤❤
When you get around to it, go check out Let Down Your Guard which was an outtake from the album and was on the Japanese single for Secret. It's fire!
Noted…. And plz remind me after I watch the music videos 🥰
MY ALL TIME FAVORITE!!! GET INTO THE LYRICS! THIS IS MADONNAS MOST LYRICAL, ROMANTIC, POETIC ALBUM! I LOVE EVERY SONG! NO SKIPS! This song is what made me do a DEEP dive into Madonnas discography! I have no idea what the secret is! I went from masturbation, to drugs, to the positive message of loving yourself! 🤷♂️ Alot of her songs from here on out lyrics could mean multiple things which is kind of genius if you ask me!
Interesting!
This album have four producers:
-Dallas Austin who he work with TLC and who TLC was the major RnB group girl of the moment at 1994 with the huge ''Crazy Sexy Cool'' album and with massuve singles like ''Creep'' and ''Waterfalls''. He produced ''Secret'', ''Don't Stop'' and ''Sanctuary''. The last have additionnal production and remixing by Nellie Hooper.
-Dave Hall who he work with Mariah Carey (for the massive n.1 ''Dreamlover'' and ''Fantasy''), he produced three songs of this album (''I'd Rather Be Your Lover'', ''Human Nature'' and ''Love Tried to Welcome Me'')
-Babyface was the king of RnB has a producer and singer and hw work with a lot of massive RnB acts like Whitney Houston, Toni braxton and Boyz II Men. He was a hugely popular singer and producer during the 90's. The was the first she work after she ending her Shep sessions, and this was him to he introduced Nellie Hooper since he was a friend of Nellie. He produced and co-wrote two songs of this album, ''Forbidden Love'' and ''Take a Bow''.
-Nellie Hooper was more axed at the underground scene then the three others, she work before with Bjork, Sinead O'connor and Massive Attack. This was with her who she produced ''Survival'', ''Inside of Me'' and the title track, and she make additionnal production and remixing in ''Forbidden Love'' and ''Sanctuary''. While she arriving, she changed totally the whole mood of ''Sanctuary'' and devied of the RnB sound who this album was.
Nellie is male but his name may confuse some
Thanks for the producer run down
I'm really excited for this album for you. Not one of my favourites, but I predict it will be yours. This is Madonna's "chill-out" album. Best savoured with: A bath, a glass of wine, some candles.
Interesting description…I want more 😂
Or if you partake - an edible or joint. :)
That’s my sh*t!!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤ the whole album
Loved tried to welcome me is also another all time fave of mine. This album is solid. Video of Secret is good too.
Can’t wait!
This is my fave Madonna album!! It's got a good mix of ballads and mid-tempo jams.
This "Secret" song was ahead of it's time and about transsexualism!
Interesting…is that the same as being gender fluid?
Yes!!! The MMMMMsss started with I'LL REMEMBER and it is so much in the future, that Madonna could release an album called just that: MMMMMssss or at least MMMMMMMMadonna
Really! Okay this is interesting 🧐
@@EmpressReacts
It really is. It is almost a trademark of hers. Just remember this, and you won't miss it when you come across it in your journey!!
Yay! Been waiting for this era! Underrated album. One of my fav songs from Madonna. Love your reaction!
This song was huge on the raido back in the day
Love this album. One of my favorites. Especially Love Tried to Welcome Me and Take a Bow.
Puppies going nuts love it x
😂
This was the second madonna song I heard back in the 1990s but didn't know who sang it until years later when I heard it again and I was like ohh now I remember I didn't know madonna sang this song now it started to make sense
I still remember hearing this song for the first time on the radio. My radio alarm went off and my regular station was on. Half asleep I hear the guitars and I thought it was going to be another grunge song…LOL! Then her undeniable vocals came on and I popped right out of bed. It was different for sure but after the song played the DJ said the woman makes hits like Ray’s makes pizza! (NYC reference). The Junior Vasquez remixes are 🔥
I gotta hear them
You have reach one of my all time favorite M songs. The video is 🔥🔥
Can’t wait to see
Finally... Bedtime Stories (looks like your pup is also excited for this 🤣). This marks a comeback for Madonna... a return to the top of the charts!
😂😂she was pretty turnt up
I remember when this song/video came out, it was a new era for sure in Madonna's career and I told my mom about this song and said 'this song and album will make you a fan again after Erotica'... and sure enough, my mom bought the CD when it came out.
This song was the perfect song to usher in the Bedtime Stories era :)
So this album was a win for mom?! Interesting 🧐
Still one of my favorite Madonna songs till this day.
Love this song! Inspired by her relationship with Carlos Leon, her daughter, Lourdes’, father. They were having a secret relationship.
so baby daddy emerges this year? we're gonna have to do an episode devoted to her dating life cause im confused lol
@@EmpressReacts The identity of Lourdes’ father was revealed shortly after her birth. It was no longer a secret at this point. 😉
This is not accurate. When madonna recorded the album she was dating Tupac because Tupac recorded a verse for the album track Id Rather Be Your Lover. Leon was not in the picture until after Rodman so by then the album was already released.
Yep, when I first heard this song on the radio, I thought that this was unlike anything Madonna ever recorded. I had to run out and buy the single immediately. If you already like the first two songs, Empress, I'm sure you are going to enjoy the album.
Thing song definitely has a New Jack Swing vibe, which I love. I think Bedtime Stories is my favourite Madonna album. Secretly.
Interesting ‼️
Awesome Empress! This was Madonna's very first single from Bedtime Stories. The single and the video (no spoilers) were actually released a couple weeks before the album came out on my 17th birthday! From watching your reaction I've already got a pretty good idea that you're gonna love this album! I could be wrong, but we'll see! Was wondering what you thought of the album cover. Did you notice that her nose is pierced?
🔥🔥
Unpopular opinion??!! This is my favorite Madonna album, mostly because of the heavy R&B influences. I still listen to it today from start to finish ♥The video and (even the) remix to this song is pure fire!! Madonna wanted a softer more "innocent" vibe after coming off the Eroica era.
Interesting
This album was produced by Dallas Austin and some songs by Babyface. Dallas Austin was the hottest R&B producer in the 90's. He produced songs for TLC, LL Cool J, Toni Braxton, R Kelly, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Boys II Men, Monica, Mary J Blige, Michael Jackson and Madonna. But Madonna was not considered R&B by the industry, even when some of the beats from this album were also used for TLC's album which won the Grammy for Best R&B album that year.
But anyway this album is so beautiful, very R&B, soft, sexy, silky smooth. And Secret is not only a masterpiece (and my second favorite Madonna song of all time), the video is also very very beautiful. Actually all videos from this album are amazing. I think the 90's was Madonna's most creative and artistic decade, and specially this era. And she never sounded so good, her vocals on this album are delicious.
This have four producer, Dallas Austin, Babyface, Nellie Hooper and Dave Hall.
Slant Magazine gave Bedtime Stories a positive review and four out of five stars, writing that it is "a fluffy-pillowed concept album that unfolds like a musical fairy tale The New York Times considered Bedtime Stories as "easily Madonna's best album. San Francisco Examiner praised the album as Madonna's most low-key album and her best work at the date. The Baltimore Sun, declared that Bedtime Stories was more listener-friendly than Madonna's previous albums. He added that it "seems remarkably close in spirit to the singer's first album, emphasizing dance grooves and pop melodies over genre exercises and conceptual statements", while praising Madonna's vocal performance. Another review noted that "[Madonna] isn't taking any chances. This time around, her daring has more to do with music than lyrics", while also praising her vocals; "If anything, her singing is the album's greatest strength. Madonna uses every trick from her repertoire. Bedtime Stories turns in some of the strongest performances of her career. 'Madonna sings well' - bet you don't see that headline in the tabloids anytime soon!
Wow about time she’s getting some vocal praise!
Omg wait until you hear the last song on the album its her biggest #1 of her career
Interesting
I’ve loved this song since it dropped when I was a little kid. 90s Madonna is my fav era for sure and this song is 🔥 that’s aged very well
Yay you’re finally up to Bedtime Stories, this was a favorite song of mine and especially the Junior Vasquez club remix which you must listen to, there is a shortened radio mix for it with the music video, that’s the only version I listen to nowadays, it has been a while since I heard this original.
I really liked this song when it came out. The album I found good at the time, and as the years have gone by it's become my favorite by her. And the videos for the 4 singles from this album are all very creative and well done. Looking forward to watching your reactions to the Bedtime Stories era.
Can’t wait
One of my all time favourite Madonna songs!! ❤ I was obsessed when this first came out! So glad you loved it! You always make me actually LOL when you react to Madonna’s lower register 😂
Another album that was hugely underrated… so glad us fans got it to number one in the charts a few years back ❤
Just remembered a really good interview from this era: Ruby Wax Meets Madonna! Ruby said not too long ago that it’s the one interview she knew she’d lost control… but I loved it regardless.
why you be giggling when that lower register hit me 😂plz remind me of this interview when the time comes
So excited that you love Secret! Bedtime Stories is so underrated! Tens 🙌
Yay Empress! Let’s go Bedtime Stories, and before the new year lol! So happy you loved the song - can’t go wrong when M hums and uses her lower register. I was a teenager when this song came out - it was the first single from the album, with an amazing video. Yes it felt like she was back, and I immediately went to the music store for the CD single when released. Probably in my top 10 fav Madonna songs ❤ Enjoy because another studio album won’t come out until 1998
🔥🔥
Still one of my favorite songs with about another 98 lol so happy to see you enjoying this ❤
😁it’s 🔥
@@EmpressReacts glad to see “Secret” is staying with you, such an amazing song
This was the lead single!!!
🔥🔥🔥
So satiny smooth, like her slip dress on the cover of the single. Yes it was the first single from Bedtime Stories, and it ushered in both a new vibe for Madonna, as well as a return to the city we most associate her with. But that’s the only teaser you’ll get from me about the video 🫢 This song, the funky guitar, the BEAT and the strings, all so understated and cool, and her smoooooth vocals with the hums and sliding to that warm lower register of hers. Absolute massage for the eardrums✨I remember reading (I think in Smash Hits Magazine) that Madonna had taken to the INTERNET to announce the single, and left a message and a snippet of the song to get us hyped. I can’t recall if I ever heard the message, but it was around the time of my first ever experiences of using the internet, so I may have.
Whoa so by 94 Madonna is using the internet as a marketing tool?! Didn’t realize the internet was around. Also she goes back to Michigan?! Not to your but a video interesting
That song snippet must’ve took forever to load too 🥴 I can hear the statically beep booo beeps of the dial up internet now lol 😆
@@EmpressReacts Lol no not Michigan! Haha But yes the internet was around then! Technically it launched in 1983. It’s fascinating to go back thru internet archives to see the early manifestations of internet culture. It was buzzing by around 1994, when this album was released, but the content was obviously very primitive. Mainly text based, with either clip art that hurt your eyes, or very pixelated photos. There were fan communities online then too, and chat. Incredible that back then it looked so cutting edge. Similar to how all this will look in 20 years when we all have it implanted in our brains 😅🤖
Always enjoy you starting a new Madonna era. Secret took a couple of listens for me at first but loved it: performance wise for Madonna in the uk, she was still getting a lot of flack from the press. Shockingly, one of her strongest ballads ever broke her consecutive run of top 10 hits by stalling in the charts.
Interesting…glad you have been enjoying the journey so far
Aww man wanted to jam to Survival again! Bedtime Stories was so underated after the backlash of the last era. Although Take A Bow with Babyface became her biggest number one hit of her career. Seven weeks at number one! Bedtime Story finally became a number one album on Spotify in April 2020 after some fan champaign.
Wait she has a collar with Babyface on this album annnd it’s the biggest hit of her career still til this day?! Can’t wait to hear!
@EmpressReacts Yup! He produced two songs and sang backup. The other producers are Dallas Austin(TLC), Dave Jam Hall (Mariah Carey, Mary J Blige) and Nelle Hopper(Bjork).
Great song Great reaction ❤❤
Glad you enjoyed 🥰
I think Secret is exactly what you described. When you get to the video [siiiick], she shows what the secret is at the end of the video, but it's only for the video
Yeah I think the "secret" in the song isn't too complicated: love yourself, happiness lies in your own hand, etc.
Can’t wait
LOVE! LOVE! LOVE this song! And, the album. While the album is still tonally a bit dark, because it explores a lot of the loneliness and alienation Madonna was moving through, at the time, because of erotica; it did feel like a big exhale and a bit of a release. Madonna kinda took on the world with erotica, and while it can be a “hard to love” masterpiece, it took a toll on our girl. And, led many fans away - as did the shift in music, at the time - grunge was everywhere…and, we were on the precipice of 90s RnB takeover. Another reason why bedtime stories was very of the moment.
The groove of this song is undeniable. It’s well produced, well written, and well sung. This album is a complete pivot in the Madonna landscape. Bedtime stories is the perfect bridge (pallet cleanser) to/for Ray of Light.
In all honesty, as a whole, BS holds up incredibly well, with most of it sounding as fresh today as it did in ‘94-‘95…except don’t stop…I still roll my eyes at that one.
I really wish Dont Stop was replaced with Let Down Your Guard. Maybe even with a T-Boz feature.
You pick the BEST songs!
Thank you.
Thanks! I’m reacting to the entire album
Aawww the husky in the beginning of the video ❤️🤩
The video of this "Secret" is so hot. It fits in today's world as it has an eternal flare to it - She is in a club with a blues band surrounding her and looking sultry, and as she walks the streets of Harlem in a faux fur coat and platinum blonde hair, she stands out from the crowd and seems to fit in yet be a fish out of water at the same time - My Babies Got a Secret? Like so many of Madonna's songs. The Secret appears to allude not to a single point or subject but has a double meaning.
Firstly - As you pointed out, the secret is to look within and learn to love yourself before you can find outer love, and it will generate outward and attract the love you wish to have.
Secondly - as Madonna sings, she seems to be wrapping her arms around her belly often enough for you to think a child or baby is involved, but It's not Madonna's child, nor is she pregnant; instead, her lover/boyfriend has a baby with another woman. You do see a young child that seems out of place.
This is Peak Madonna for me :D My Album rankings change over the years but this one stays at the top 😍
Interesting!
Far and away, bedtime stories is her best work. Sooooooo glad you are finally here. I'm super curious how you'll feel about it all
This was reworked by Dallas Austin from a demo. All the brothers who worked on this album put the sauce on her stuff!!!
Fun fact: Dallas never got to finish mixing and mastering. Madonna took it all over and had others do it. He was mad, but never mentioned it until recently. It's likely why he rarely spoke about his incredible work on this album. It isn't how he intended it to sound, as great as it is.
This album was inspired by Joi's debut album, Pendulum Vibe, which Dallas produced.
Ah, this reminds me of Miss Ross and the Diana album and how Nile and Bernard were in there feels that she remixed the album. In the case of this song… good call Madonna